Women of Promise

      When life presses in pretty close and trials and troubles encroach on our hearts, where can we turn? When schedules and concerns overwhelm our minds, how are we to cope? When we can't even form words to pray, what will bring peace to our soul?     The Word of God provides the answers. The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a sword. The Word of God is the Bible. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word of God is our peace and our comfort. The Word of God is our refuge when the storms of life are howling all around us.       The Psalms are one place in the Word of God that can provide the clarity of thought and the peace and calm to our souls that we need. My father gave me a Psalter many years ago. A Psalter is the Psalms of the Bible put into a form for singing (often to traditional hymns that are very familiar to me.)  I love to open this book and read this version of the Psalms, often humming them to the tu...

Remember the song, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God"? It has been running my head recently. The family of faith really is a beautiful treasure. I know, because I haven't always had that. Sometimes life happens and we get separated from a fellowship. The pain and loneliness is difficult to navigate. God never intends this to be a long term situation, although He may use circumstances to guide us into His beautiful, pre-designed plan.  Sometimes we are tempted to think we are OK when we are off doing our own thing. The truth is, we need each other and the church needs you! I recently read a really great analogy told by D.L. Moody. A man told the preacher that he could be a good Christian without going to church. Without a word, D.L. Moody reached into the fireplace and removed one small log from the woodpile that was blazing.  He set the small log on the tile away from the rest of the fire. The log burned brightly at first before slowly getti...

It seems like summer has arrived!  With the warmer temperatures comes the increased struggle to keep our bodies hydrated.  Drinking water is essential for our human bodies.  Sometimes children do not even realize they need that water until you give them a cup of cold water and they feel the refreshment that it brings. They may be thirsty, but looking for sodas or snacks instead of water that they actually need. Plants dry up more quickly during these days of warm sunlight.  If you give them a source of water, they flourish and their leaves grow strong and green as they reach for the sun. God placed in all of us a thirst for something that will fulfill us. It is as much a part of our spiritual and emotional need as  physical water is for our bodies. It is absolutely essential that we discover that one thing that satisfies that longing in the pit of our soul.  So often we look everywhere for the answer to that thirst, except for that one place tha...

       Humans are funny creatures.  We are always striving for acceptance.  To do that, we want to dress like everyone around us. We want our homes to be decorated to look like the decorating shows. We compare everything about us to our neighbor or social media posts.  We want to "fit in." We want our kids to "fit in."  This is natural.     At the same time, we struggle to find some way to "stand out."  What is that one thing that makes us different?  Maybe it is a unique sense of style.  Maybe it's a quirky personality. Perhaps you have an unique sense of humor.  We find that thing and wear it with pride.  Our culture applauds this constant tug of war between "fitting in" and "standing out."  No wonder our teens are more confused than ever.       Being intentional about our faith means we look at every area of our life and ask ourselves, "Am I representing Jesus through this?"  This...

 I have shared this before, and as we are in the midst of VBS, I thought I would share it again. It has brought me tremendous blessing to reflect on this over the years, and I pray that God will use this in some small way to  reveal a little more of  Himself to all us.      I want to begin by sharing a short devotional that I read recently.  It shook me to the core and I was amazed at the all encompassing presence and glory of God in a brand new way.  After researching it some and confirming that the information was accurate and not merely a "feel good" inspirational segment, I have been meditating on the truths shared whenever I had some moments to reflect.  It has brought me to tears of joy and adoration.  It has caused me to weep over the lack of knowledge I have of who our God is and exactly how much He is concerned with the fact that we are made in His image.       First, I would like to share the short piece wri...

      As most of you well know, we are prepping and planning for our annual VBS! It is so beautiful to see the children having fun as they learn the Bible and interact with each other and the leaders every year.  As a church, it is lovely to watch so many work together for a common mission: sharing the gospel message.     The Bible has much to say about children.  Luke 18 tells us that Jesus had a very special spot in his heart for children.  He gives a command and a clue about the beauty of His Kingdom: Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."    Luke 18:16      Service to children is service to Jesus.  He calls us to serve and love these little ones, because He loves them!  Torey reminded us of this at VBS training this year and this truth lived out is what separates true Christians from imposters.      As a church, we are blessed with l...

Source: Billy Graham on Twitter: 2/1/17          Do you ever wake up drained -- exhausted before the day even begins?  Do you ever want to bury your head in the pillow and hide from everyone and everything?  I have heard it called sensory overload, or "needing a mental health day," and other similar things.  Sometimes as a mom, the children pour out their needs and I just don't seem to have anything to give, even for the most simple of requests.  My patience may run thin and I snap over a minor infraction.  Even worse, I may not correct them when they need correction because I "can't deal with it right now."  Sound familiar?  It may be a different source for you that causes you to feel that your "cup has run dry."  Perhaps it is work, friends, or other family members that seem to drain you.  Have you ever heard the phrase, "You can't pour from an empty cup?"  Where do you go when your cup is dry?  Do you tur...